1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to urine collection and/or monitoring systems and, more particularly, to a device for forming an adjustable drain tube loop for use with urine collection systems.
2. Background of Related Art
Urine collection and/or monitoring systems are well known and are commonly used to collect urine from a catheterized patient. Urine collection systems consist of a catheter operably connected to a patient, a fluid reservoir for collecting the fluid and a drain tube connecting the catheter with the reservoir. Typically, urine collection system are employed prior to, during and following many surgical procedures, especially where the patient is not ambulatory or is not coherent enough to negotiate the facilities normally.
It is desirable in urine collection systems to provide a drain tube that is longer then necessary to connect the catheter with the fluid reservoir. The extra length in the drain tube permits the repositioning of the patient without stressing the catheter and fluid reservoir connections, an occurrence which can cause great pain for the patient. A patient may need to be repositioned countless times during a hospital stay, including when the bed sheets have been soiled and necessitate changing, when certain tests are performed, and to prevent atrophy of the patient's muscles. Drain tubes are manufactured in standard lengths with sufficient excess tubing to allow for repositioning of the attached patient. Fasteners positioned on each end of a standard drain tubes prevents the tubes themselves from being shortened.
The excess length in the drain tube, however, often causes problems with urine flow. Urine meters and fluid reservoirs are generally secured to the bed frame or bed rail near the patient. The drain tube originates at the catheter end connected to a patient positioned horizontally in the bed. The drain tube may hang off the edge of the bed and fall below the frame of the bed before returning uphill to empty into the fluid reservoir (FIG. 1). This drain tube configuration forces urine to flow against gravity and creates back pressure on the patient's bladder. The 4-8″ of urodynamic resting bladder pressure produced by the bladder of a supine patient cannot overcome this back pressure. This back pressure can restrict urine flow and potentially cause patient discomfort, bladder distension, leakage, etc.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have a device for forming an adjustable length drain tube for urine collection and/or monitoring systems such that the length of the tube can be adjusted while maintaining the entire length of drain tube above the fluid reservoir.